March 2016 - Elkhorn Public Schools

2
1
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
March
2/29-4th Staff Appreciation Week
1st Fifth Grade Recorder Concert
@ EGMS (Grandview)
2nd Read Across America Day
4th Smencil Sales
Before School
7th PTO meeting at 6:30 p.m.
8th Battle of the Books Practice
10th End of 3rd Quarter
11th No School-In-service
14th-18th Spring Break
22nd Spring Pictures
- Manchester Battle
All teams-Right after school
23rd Report Cards sent home
25th Smencil Sales
Before School
th
28 District Battle at Manchester
March
2016
Principal’s Message
We will be having our ice cream celebration on Thursday,
March 10 for students who participated all four weeks in
our first One School, One Book endeavor. We hope that
it was a fun family time for all of you focused on building
literacy skills. We are looking forward to being able to
offer this same opportunity next school year.
In education, this is our busy season for interviewing for
new staff, and the question of whether all students can
learn at high levels often arises. My thought is that it
depends on how badly you want it. I’m sure you can all
think of things in your lives that you just don’t want all
that much. One of mine is learning how to drive our
vehicle that has a stick shift. During Parent Teacher
Conferences, I was once again reminded how badly our
students, parents, and staff want all students to achieve
at high levels. I’m so grateful to be part of a school were
collaborative relationships are fostered to help all
students achieve at high levels. Thank you for your
consistent and constant support of your child’s education.
The teachers and I also enjoyed the wonderful meals that
were provided by the Manchester families both nights.
Please email or call me if I can be of assistance to your
family.
Amy Christ
MOUNTAIN LION TIMES NEWSLETTER
Important Testing Dates
Each spring all District students in grades third, fourth, and fifth complete the
Nebraska State Accountability (NeSA) assessments and the MAP tests. Results from the
NeSA and MAP assessments are used to identify strengths and areas of need across the
District, as well as for each individual student. It is important that your student(s) be
present during these assessments in order to get an accurate snapshot of their level of
mastery in relation to state standards. These results will also allow our teaching staff to
guide classroom instruction based on areas of need. Listed below are the scheduled dates for
the NeSA and MAP assessments at Manchester. Please be mindful of these dates when
scheduling appointments, vacations, etc.
Assessment
ThirdGrade
Fourth
NeSA-ELA
April5&6
April12&13
NeSA-Math
April19&20
April19&20
NeSA-Science
NotAdministered
NotAdministered
MAP
May3&4
May3&4
FifthGrade
April
12,13&14
April
19&20
April6&7
May
2,3&5
Traffic Drop-Off and Pick-Up Reminders
•If you are dropping your children off in a driveway across from the school
please be sure that they are then going up to the crosswalk to safely cross
HWS Cleveland Blvd.
•We DO need students to exit their vehicles on the east side of the building
instead of waiting until they are in the front of the building. This is
especially key during the cold months when we have fewer students
walking to school. There is a staff member at the Kids Campus door that is
available to let the students enter through those doors, too.
•WHERE is you TAG? Utilizing the car tag numbers helps us to get students
dismissed in a safe and timely manner after school. If you need a
replacement tag, please contact the office for a new one.
402-289-2590
2
2750 N. HWS CLEVELAND BLVD.
elkhornweb.org/Manchester/
2
MANCHESTER ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER
ManchesterVolunteers
Calling all volunteers! The Manchester staff is in need of volunteers to complete material
preparation, copies, bulletin boards, and filing student work into Friday Folders. Many of the
positions will not be completed in the classroom, so younger children are welcome to help in the
work room too.
If you are interested in volunteering, but the days or times don't fit into your schedule, please
contact Sarah Addink at saddink@epsne.org, as days and times are flexible.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050f4da9a622ab9manchester
Alternatives to Birthday “Treats”
Instead of food this year, we would like to encourage you to bring non-food items for the
class or donate a birthday book to the media center or classroom!
BeA“PartnerinEducation”at
ManchesterElementary!
ElkhornPublicSchools“PartnersinEducation”mentoringprogramisseeking
adult volunteers to mentor Manchester students. Mentors are asked to
volunteer for at least 30 minutes each week, and may indicate preferred
gradelevelsandtimes.Orientationwillbeprovided,andabuildingfacilitator
willbeavailabletoanswerquestions.Tovolunteer,orformoreinformation,
please contact mentoring facilitator, Sarah Addink, at 402-289-2590 or
saddink@epsne.org.
3
3
MOUNTAIN LION TIMES NEWSLETTER
Classroom News
Third Grade
Scientists
Thirdgradershaveproventhatascientistcanbeanyage!Studentsare
currentlyexperimentingwithphysicalchangesofsubstancesthroughout
theMetricMeasurementunitwhilelearninghowtomeasure
temperature.Inadditiontoconductinginvestigations,studentsworkto
recordinitialthoughtsandpredictions,communicatethinkingtoothers,
andmakingconnectionsbetweeneachoftheinvestigations.Priorto
learninghowtomeasuretemperaturethestudentslearnedhowto
measuredistance,volume,andmass.
Ifyouneedsomethingmeasured,askathirdgrader!
Report Cards
will be sent
home Wednesday
March 23 rd
402-289-2590
4
2750 N. HWS CLEVELAND BLVD.
elkhornweb.org/Manchester/
4
MANCHESTER ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER
Counselor Corner
Maureen O’Donald LMHP from Arbor Family will be coming to speak on March 7th at
6:00-6:30 on Anxiety in Children. All Manchester families are welcome to attend and
there will be childcare.
Guidance Class: We are currently talking about tolerance, conflict resolution, and
cooperation skills in guidance class. The students will be covering test taking skills in
the upper grades and safety skills in K-2 throughout March/April. We will end the year
with career awareness and dealing with transitions.
5th GRADE CAREER FAIR SPEAKERS NEEDED and FUN CAREER INFO
Speakers Needed:
The fifth grade has their annual career fair in May. If you have an interesting career that
you would like to share and speak to the kids about, please contact me at
swiley@epsne.org or Shelly Wiley 402-289-2590. We would love to have you come and
share your experiences to the students.
THIS IS AN AWESOME WEBSITE (FROM THE GRANDVIEW COUNSELOR)
THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO CHECK OUT ☺
• Are you looking to expose your child to different career options? If so, check
out EXPLORING “Real World Career Experiences” 2015-2016
•
What is Exploring? Exploring is a career education program, sponsored by area
businesses that help young adults make a more informed decision about future
careers and determine if a particular career is the right one for them. Exploring is
about gaining practical experience in a career field. The result is a program of
activities that help youth pursue their special interests, grow and develop.
•
The link below will be able to provide you more information about the specific
programs and when they meet. For more information and to register, please visit
http://www.omahaexploring.org/
5
5
Destination Imagination
MOUNTAIN LION TIMES NEWSLETTER
TECH SAVVY PARENT TIPS
MARCH 2016
Elkhorn Public Schools Policy 507.13—Internet Safety Policy was written in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Tech Savvy Parent tips are intended to inform and educate parents of technology that may be available to their students. Tips may
feature apps that are educational as well as those that may be a cause for concern to parents.
ICE Contacts
Adding ICE contacts to your cell phone can provide important information for first responders in the
event of an emergency. ICE stands for “In Case of Emergency.” Many mobile devices now have special
functions for adding ICE contacts. For other devices, you can simply add, “ICE” in front of a contact’s
name in your phone book. Check your user manual for specific instructions on adding emergency
contacts to your phone.
Popular Apps—Secret Cameras
Talking with teens about protecting their digital privacy is important—but it’s also important to remind
them to protect the privacy of others. Apps like Stealth Cam, Private Ninja Cam and Top Secret
Camera, allow users to discreetly use their device’s camera function to take photos or video. These
apps mute sounds, blank or disguise screen images and use motion to activate the camera. As a rule of
thumb—if you have to hide what you’re doing, you probably shouldn’t be doing it!(Information
via commonsensemedia.org)
An Educational App—Toontastic
Toontastic is a free digital storytelling app that allows students to organize and present using
storyboards. It employs a "Story Arc" that contains five sequential scenes to guide story structure
(Setup, Conflict, Challenge, Climax, and Resolution). Each scene in the arc drives the story forward,
and kids can even change the order of the arc elements. Kids create original cartoon shorts scene by
scene in the app's Story Arc. First they choose a setting, characters, and props from templates or their
camera roll, or create them with the in-app drawing tool. They animate these items by moving them
around the screen while speaking a narrative that is recorded. Last, they add a musical score based on
emotions.
This
app
is
available
for
free
in
the
Apple
App
Store. (Information
viacommonsensemedia.org)
Summer Activity Camps
Each summer Elkhorn coaches and sponsors offer a variety of sports/activity camps for students of all ages. Available
camps will be posted online at elkhornweb.org/antlers and elkhornweb.org/storm by April 1, 2016. Parents can go online
to browse camps and download registration flyers.
Please note: Elkhorn Public Schools only posts summer camp information for camps hosted by an EPS coach or sponsor
as related to his or her duties within the school district.
402-289-2590
6
2750 N. HWS CLEVELAND BLVD.
elkhornweb.org/Manchester/
6
MANCHESTER ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER
March Pawsitive Pride Students
Third Grade
Kindergarten
Alex Sampson
Julian Smith
Sara Nguyen
Kenzie Webster
Dominic Copeland
Kyle Pospisil
Gavin Sprowels
Forth Grade
First Grade
Vivienne Moore
Brody Clark
Emma Harris
Caden Gates
Second Grade
Lydia Connolly
Alie Dixon
Dallin McCune
Ella Jackson
Specials
Kade Foy (P.E.)
Killion McDowell (Art)
Baya Clark (Music)
Aliza Syed
Macy Falconer
Brandon Urbano
Fifth Grade
Zachary Christiansen
Paxon Piatkowski
Alissa Lake
Lunch with Mrs. Christ will be March 3rd
Pawsitive Pals
The Elkhorn Chapter of
Optimist International
Student of the Month
Dallin McCune
March Tuesday, March 29th at 2:00-Cooperation
April Tuesday, April 12th at 8:30-Self-Control
May Tuesday, May 17th at 1:30-Alertness
7
7
MOUNTAIN LION TIMES NEWSLETTER
These items will be on sale March 4th & 25th
Smencils $1.00 and Snacks/Treat $.25-$.50
During Walking Club
Family Dinner Night
Thursday March 24th
4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Marco’s Pizza
168th & Blondo
Spirit Days
Please Wear
Manchester Gear/Red
On Fridays the 4th and
the 24th
Are You Moving????????
As we plan for the next school year, it would be helpful if you would please let the
office know if you have moved OR if you will be moving over the summer. Please contact
the office (402) 289-2590 as soon as possible so we can have the most accurate
information.
Collecting Box Tops is an easy
way to raise funds for our
school. Students may turn in
box tops to their classroom
teachers any time during the
school year. Keep
clipping those Box
Tops!
402-289-2590
8
TAGG-Download the app, visit
participating businesses and
TAGG” your purchases. The
business will donate up to 5% of the
purchase to Manchester PTO when
you choose our school. See more
information at
www.togetheragreatergood.com/demo
2750 N. HWS CLEVELAND BLVD.
elkhornweb.org/Manchester/
8
MANCHESTER ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER
PTO INFORMATION
MANCHESTER CARES
Manchester Elementary and Manchester Elementary PTO are partnering together to bring you
MANCHESTER CARES. The goal of Manchester Cares is to teach students the importance of giving back
and helping others in our community and elsewhere.
ON GOING
- If the need arises, Manchester's Student Council is creating "Care Bags" to give students
who have lost a member of his/her immediate family or guardian. Bags will contain a few
things, designed to help the child cope with the loss of a loved one.
-
REMINDER…You can log into myschoolanywhere.com for the Manchester online
directory. Look up email contacts, addresses or print out the class list! Forgot your
username or password? Contact Kerry Depew at kerryunr@gmail.com with any
questions.
*Karissa
Burroughs & Olivia Weddell for
planning and managing Staff Appreciation
Week! GREAT JOB!!
*Our wonderful Hospitality Committee;
Tracy Preister, Anne Revers and Jen
Czak for coordinating dinners for staff
during parent/teacher conferences!
*Michelle Peterson & Mylinh Le Nguyen
for all their hard work on putting the
Manchester yearbook together!
Next PTO meeting
Monday March 7th at
6:30 in the Media
Center!
Bring a friend and get
entered into a drawing!
Mark your calendars!
Carnival Friday,
April 29th
5:30-8:00 p.m.
www.ManchesterPTO.com/Like us on Facebook
9
9
MOUNTAIN LION TIMES NEWSLETTER
Wednesday March 2
nd
*Watch for Mrs. Bleich on the morning news as she will be
reading a book to the whole school to kick off the day.
*Students and teachers can wear wacky clothing! (mismatch)
*Each class will participate in a “read and feed” to encourage
literacy.
*PTO will be providing popcorn for students to enjoy while
reading.
*Check out the dr. Suess Theme foods during Lunch provided by
Sodexo.
Thank You
To our GREAT Room Coordinators!!
Kindergarten
Second Grade
Fourth Grade
Mary Metschke
Angie Davis/Leah Lindell
Trisha Troia
Shannon McCune
Denecia Royer
Renee Vokt
Stephanie Groenjes
Shanna Beachy
Lita
Shelli Willcoxen
Jennifer Newby
First Grade
Third G rade
Fifth Grade
Betsy Peter
Lindsey Moore
Mrs. Scherzberg
Julie Real
Amber Powell
Julie Real
Kelly Bertucci/Betsy Peter
Olivia Weddel
Monet Davis
Amy Hendryx
Vicki Johnson
Chloe Sprowls
402-289-2590
10
2750 N. HWS CLEVELAND BLVD.
elkhornweb.org/Manchester/
10
MANCHESTER ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER
STATE QUALIFIER
Manchester 5th grader Sam Hansen has been notified by the National
Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in
the 2016 Nebraska National Geographic State Bee. The contest will be held
at University of Nebraska Omaha on Friday, April 1, 2016.
In late December, ten fourth and fifth grade students competed in
Manchester’s Bee and Sam was determined Manchester’s
champion. Following the Manchester Bee, Sam took an online qualifying
state test. Sam received a top score on the online state test, and will now
compete for Nebraska’s National Geographic State Title.
The winner of the State Bee, will represent Nebraska at the National
Bee in Washington, D.C. in late May. We are very proud of Sam, and wish
him the best of luck at the State Bee on April 1st!
Make-up Days for Missed School Days
As a reminder, EPS students will have regular classes
on Friday, April 15 (C Day) and Friday, May 20 (D
Day). These two days were built into the school
calendar to account for the first two missed school
days due to inclement weather. There are no other
make-up days scheduled at this time.
11
11
MOUNTAIN LION TIMES NEWSLETTER
Library Book Dedication
The purpose of our program is to fill our library with books that will enrich our students
as well as honor family, staff and friends. With a donation of $16.00 a library issued
hardcover book will be purchased and a bookplate honoring the reason will be placed on
the inside cover. Books will be pre-selected from Manchester wish lists. Books can be
dedicated for a variety of reasons-for example:
*Celebrate birthdays
*Wish good luck
*Honor the passing of a loved one
*Celebrate holidays
*Show a teacher/staff member your appreciation
Make someone feel extra special by dedicating a book to him/her.
To dedicate a book please return the completed form below to the school office (a
minimum of 2 weeks prior to the commemoration date - if possible)
Checks should be made payable to Manchester Elementary in the amount of $16.00 per
book.
Student Name:____________________________ Today’s Date:______________________
Teacher/Grade:___________________________ Occasion Date:_____________________
Occasion:________________________________ Phone #:__________________________
Your Name:______________________________ Email:___________________________
Book Plate to Read:
This book is donated in honor of________________________________________
(Person’s name exactly as it should read on plate, please PRINT)
Message:___________________________________________________________________
Please contact Robyn Dallegge if you have any questions
rdallegge@epsne.org or 402-289-2590
402-289-2590
12
2750 N. HWS CLEVELAND BLVD.
elkhornweb.org/Manchester/
12